First exposure of 2009! - 02 Jan 2009

As I headed to the car to look for my first pics of 2009 I spotted a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches fly overhead and land in the neighbor's White Pine. So I grabbed the D300 w/ the Better Beamer attached to the SB800 and fired my first exposure of 2009. The image is a bit bright despite an exposure comp. of -2.0 at 1/8 power on the flash unit. But probably because I had the camera set to ISO 800 (not needed for a sunny day). Oops. Still, a keeper image and a very good, non-House Sparrow first bird of 2009!

2506 21st Street, Wyandotte, Wayne, Michigan, US
Jan 2, 2009 9:00 AM - 9:05 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments:     First exposures of 2009
1 species

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  2     landed in neighbor's white pine.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S42164541

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

A quick run down to Pt. Mouillee HQ yielded dozens of Tundra and Mute Swans on the now-frozen Huron River, a few fly-by Bald Eagles, and a dozen or so American Tree Sparrows along the fencerow. My first 'missed shot' goes to an adult Cooper's Hawk that paused just long enough inside the trees along Robert's Rd. for me to pull up, raise the camera, and then fly off!

Pte. Mouillee SGA--HQ, Wayne, Michigan, US
Jan 2, 2009 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
5 species (+1 other taxa)

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  10
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  12
swan sp. (Cygnus sp.)  46     Tundra and Mute Swans mixed
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  2
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea)  14

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S166415019

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)